Hi all, Having previously (and currently) been an owner of 4cyl Japs, I've found a lovely looking 749 for sale which i'm seriously considering. Only thing is, although it has some service history, there is no record of any belts having ever been changed. The bike is an 04, with 8000 miles on the clock. I've had some scary stories of must get the belts done straight away, but I was just curious to get the opinions and thoughts of those who are likely to be a bit more aware, if you like. many thanks for taking the time to read and hopefully I'll be one of you soon!!
Nothing good to add apart from if you do buy one, you'll need to change your username. lol There are a lot of good bikes for sale, so dont accept one which hasnt been looked after so well.
Thats a good point, I hadnt given that much thought lol I think I'm going to go and have a look, its only 90 mins away so not the end of the world. Found out though that it was Cat C in 2007 but has been repaired and on the road since 2008 with MOT's to back it up.
Mate has been trying to buy a facelift bike and is struggling a bit. He may well be buying a bike I pointed out for sale on here. ps how much is the bike. i spent a while finding mine and also looking for my pal so have a good handle on what's what. good way is to look at completed listings on eBay. Ps darks go for les so be aware of that
As said above there have been a pair of very good looking 749s on here, Time spent studying the different models and specs and prices is time well spent. Personally id save/spend more and go the fully serviced/looked after route then you "should" have a perfectly reliable bike rather than be trapped into spending on a bad one to bring it up to scratch. what 4 cylinder bike did you come from ? as some do find the base 749 slightly underpowered (many don't though I love mine!!). I would say you have vastly increased the odds of getting a good one by finding this forum, keep asking about anything your not sure of on here there will be plenty of good advice on offer. welcome to the forum. ( oh and remember THE RED ONES ARE FASTER) lol.
Flippin heck 749man - I thought I kept mine clean :biggrin: 749maybe - Out of all of the bikes available when I passed my DAS a couple of years ago, I wen't for the facelifted 749 's' - do your research and don't rush would be my only advice.
If you are going from a jap 4 to one of these then it wont just be the type and amount of power that you will need to adjust to (its a v-twin after all) but how these things handle. I would just ask you to check with yourself why you want one. If you want the fastest or easiest to ride then your in the wrong place. If you want something different that is as reliable as anything if looked after, turns heads wherever it goes, sounds mega and you are willing to spend a little looking after it, then you may well be in the right place. They are great bikes but I wouldnt be happy with zero paperwork unless the bike is exceptional. I bought mine with none but it had half the miles on it than the one you are looking at and I fell in love. Paperwork soon builds up as I now have loads and so any bike that has been looked after and is straight should have the same. It doesnt necessarily mean it has been abused as sometimes these things just get lost by dealers/ auctioneers etc. Sometimes owners dont service their bikes or just change the oil every few years if they use it very rarely which is actually very, very bad. A good bike is typically one which has been used continuously over the years as these things dont like standing. You end up with stuff like belts setting due to not being turned over, condensation & rust in tank causing all sorts of gremlins, and dodgy electrics to name a few. Ask any Ducati Tech and they will tell you these things like being used! Just so you know the score, belts are every 2 years regardless (dont confuse him guys) or 6k miles and dont cost too much but you will need to take a deep breath compared to a jap 4 service bill. Go for independent Ducati service centres - there are plenty of recommended ones about, just ask. An approx cost for the belts and a service is around the 500 mark inc VAT. At 12k its valve shim check which can be costly if they need adjustment and if that bike has done 8k I think it would really need the 12k service (approx 7-800). People have the full service done for half that but I know how much labour is involved and how much the parts are and I cant see how that is legit. Have a look on the forum/ other Ducati service sites and you will see im not far off. So, my advice would be to find a slightly later bike with a bit of history but dont cry if its missing a stamp as long as it has had a recent service with the right stuff. Go for an 05 bike with the black swingarm but beware as a popular mod is to convert late registered 04 bikes to black swingarm as they are generally considered to have better electrics etc (no put-down to grey swingarm owners). Hope this helps. JC
Thanks all for taking the time-out. I've decided to at least go and have alook at the 749, it's got the manuals and some service history and a new MOT last week, so surely cant be all bad (can it?). Appreciate if there is anything specific I should pay attention to, either visually (except usual stuff like chain and sprockets, engine casings, bar ends and levers etc) or when I take it out for a test ride. Thansk again, much appreciated.
There are loads of things but to be honest, its just the same as any other bike. Make sure its not a track bike/ been crashed and has been looked after. There are loads of tiny little things I could go on about but its not needed. Just make sure the belts have been done!!! (every 6K or 2 years). It could be a great bike but would you part with your money for it to throw a belt on its way home? That would spoil anyones day. If they need doing then just make sure you account for it in the price and its all good. Make sure you have an idea of where you would take it for servicing and ring them up and talk prices for said service to avoid a shock before you go and look at it. Hell, ask them for advice as the customer service with Ducati garages both official and indi is the best out there! Out of curiosity - what is the location of the bike and is this a private sale or dealer? Oh and I would try to get one with a mono conversion as if you want one at a later date (you will) it will cost you around another 400+ to do which is why people put them back to std to sell. Same with exhausts. Check out prices of Termis.... 600-800+ so you want it to have the goodies really. Remember, there are plenty out there. Keep us all updated - if you buy it we like pictures JC
I prefer the look of the bip with a cowl so went for that (too much pipe on the mono, imo). Here is my one so you can see how it looks that way -
If you don't want to post for all to see, send me a pm on the full details and price and I will be better able to comment
